Automatic continous cooker for food products in hermetically-sealed containers.



E. S REA & W. S, REA. JR.

AUTOMATIC CONTINUOUS COOKER FOR FOOD PRODUCTS m HERMETICALLY SEALEDCONTMNERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29, I916.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

WITNESSES: w Q .INVENTORS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. REA, OF SAN FRANCISCO, AND WILLIAM S. REA, JR., OF OAKLAND,CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC CONTINUOUS 000mm FOR roon raonuccrs IN HERMETIGALLY-SEALEDCONTAINERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 29, 1916. Serial No. 81,214.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDWARD S. REA andVVILLIAM S. REA, Jr., citizens of the United States, and residents,respectively, of the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, and of the city of Oakland, county of Alameda, and State ofCalifornia, have invented an Automatic Continuous Cooker for FoodProducts in Hermetically- Sealed Containers; and we do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of ourinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to automatic continuous cookers for hermeticallysealed packages containing food products,and especially to that type ofcookers in which live steam is employed as the heat producing agent; anditzconsists in the novel construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described.

The'object of our invention is to provide an automatic mechanism whichwill make it possible for the sealed containers to be insorted, cookedand withdrawn, continuously, without lowering the temperature of thecooker or permitting the steam to escape; which will conserve the heatimparting energy; and which will cheapen the manufacturing cost ofpreparing this class of food products.

Heretofore, food products in hermetically sealed containers have beencooked in retorts, or other vessels adapted to sustain internalpressure. All such retorts are heated by live steam admitted directlyinto the retorts which hold the sealed containers. Before the door ofthe retort can be opened and the cooked products removed, it isnecessary to blow off the steam and to allow the retort to cool down,the result being loss of time and loss of heat energy. By our novelconstruction, as hereafter described, we not only obviate these losses,but we also eliminate much of the labor at present necessary in handlingthe sealed containers.

In order that our invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, the same is described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which similar numerals indicate like partsFigure 1, is a side elevation of the cooker with the middle portionbroken away to show the tubes filled with the containers.

Fig. 2, is a rear elevation of the cooker showing chute-system andconveyor. Fig. 3, is a sectional view of Fig. 1, through the center andlooking front elevation of the cooker.

In detail, our construction consists of a cylinder, 2, adapted tosustain internal pressure, mounted on suitable supports, 3. Steam isadmitted to the cylinder through the intake pipe, 4, provided with acombined safety-valve and exhaust, 5. On the top and at the rear end ofthe cylinder is mounted a steam-gage, 6. On the lower side of thecylinder an outlet, 7, is provided for carryin off the water caused bycondensation.

ltunning through the cylinder and suitably aiiixed to the heads, 8,thereof, is a series of tubes, 9, open at each end, and adapted toreceive the hermetically sealed food containers, 10. These tubesconstitute the cooking chambers for the food products during the cookinprocess, and they also serve as conduits or the containers during theirprogress through the said cylinder. At the front end of the cylinder,each tube projects outward and is cut awa as at 11,

for greater convenience in inserting therein the food containers.

Our mechanism for propelling the food containers through the tubes inthe cylinder consists of an automatic ram operated by any suitablemeans, not shown in the drawings, capable of being so regulated that theram moves forward and returns to its position at stated intervals. Therams forward journal-box, 12, is carried in the triangular frame, 13,suitably attached to the forward end of the said cylinder. The head ofthe ram is provided with the disk-plate, 14, to which is aflixed aseries of plungers, 15, so arranged that each of the series is directlyopposite one of the said tubes, 9. At the rear end of the c linder thetubes are connected with a chute-system, 16, through means of which thesealed containers are delivered to a suitable conveyor, 17.

The cylinder is heated to the desired degree of temperature by means oflive steam admitted through the intake-pipe, 4. A food container is theninserted 1n the forward end of each of the tubes, at 11. As the ram.moves forward the plungers, 15, contact with the containers in the tubesdirectly opposite, and each container is thus advanced into its PatentedDec. 19, 1916.

rearward. Fig. 4, is a respective tube. The rain then returns to its psition, ur-Ilu-r routaiiu'r i th n ius rtcd in t'lf 'll ol the saidIulies. l lnvr routaiucit are also advanced by the next forward morementof the ram. 111 1) advancing car-h routaini'i roulurts with therrmtaiuwr just ahead f it inits res u-rtire tube and tullrlftllltllli)advances that container. By a repetition of these operations thecontainers are gradiu ally a li'aui rd lillill they cinuplrle theirpassage through the tubes. As the rams move ments are capable of beingso regulated that the ram moves forward only at stated intervals, and asthe temperature of the cylinder is capable of being so regulated thatany degree of temperature may be maintained, the ilttlull of the rainand the temperature of the cylinder may be so regulated with referenceto each other that when the graduall v iul\'anced containers emerge fromthe cylinder the food product are thoroughly cooked. It is obvious fromthe above that these cookers may be used continuously as long asdesired, without any break in the cooking process.

\Vhile we have shown in the drawings accompanying this specificationWhat we consider to be the most desirable and our resout form and methodof construction 0 our cookers, it is evident that changes and variationsof parts and locations of arts may be made withbut departing from tliespirit and scope of-oiir invention, and we therefore desire to includeherein such possible changes and variations.

Ha\-'ingj.thus described our invention, what we dcsi re to claim and tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In ai steam cooker for food products in hermetically sealedcontainers, a cylinder adapted to sustain internal pressure and providedwith a suitable steam intake, a series of open tubes Within saidcylinder and adapted to serve as conduits for said oontainers duringtheir passage through said cylinder, in combination with atime-regulalcd automatic ram for advancing said containers through saidtubes.

Z. In a cooker for food Products in hermet irally sea led containers, acylinder adapted to sustain internal pressure and provided with a seriesof open tubes extending longi- (udiually through the length thereof,said tubes adapted to serve both as cooking cham- Iiers for said foodproducts and as conduits for said containers during their passagethrough said cylinder, and a ram for adrancing said containers throughsaid tubes.

3. In a cooker for food products in hermetically sealed containers, acylinder adapted to receive steam, a series of open tubes extendingthrough said cylinder and adaptd to serve as cookin chambers for saidfood products and as conduits for said containers during their passagethrough said cylinder, in combination with propelling means for saidcontainers.

4. In a cooker for food products in hermetically sealed containers, thecombination 'of a. cylinder adapted to receive steam under pressure, aseries of open tubes extending through the heads of said cylinder, andan intermittently o crating ram,substantially as shown, and or thepurposesset forth.

5. In a cooker for food products in hermetically sealed containers, 0.cylinder adapted to receive steam, a series of open tubes extendinthrough the heads of said cylinder and a apted to serve as cookingchambers for said food products and as conduits for said containersduring their passage through said tubes, in combination with a. ramadapted to automatically advance said containers through said cylinder.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our respective signaturesin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD S. REA. WILLIAM S. REA, JB Witnesses:

Mirrrm G. STIRLING, FRAN 015 ST. J. Fox.

